Flame cutting is utilized for cutting, piercing, scarfing, severing, and the like of selected portions of metal from steel workpieces. Conventional production flame cutting machines have one or more automatic or semiautomatic computer controlled and guided torches for preforming the operation generally on a water submerged horizontal burn table. Often these are repetitive operations, cutting the same preselected shape over and over again. The workpiece generally rests on a plurality of upstanding pedestals at water level. The workpiece is positioned on the burn table by butting one or more edges of the workpiece against a series of removable locators on the burn table. The locators are manually installed in holes in the burn table at predetermined locations relative to a preselected programmed path of the torch or torches. After the workpiece has been positioned the locators must be removed from the burn table to prevent damage to the locators from the torch during the burn operation. Time spent by the operator installing and removing the locators detracts from productive work. In addition it is possible to inadvertently install a locator at a wrong location resulting in the workpiece being positioned incorrectly on the burn table. Still further, the constant installation and removal of the locators from the burn table results in accelerated wear of the locators and burn table mating surfaces. The subject invention provides a relatively simple locating apparatus which need not be removed from the burn table, but pivoted out of the way during the burn operation and pivoted back to locate the next workpiece. With such construction there is realized a savings of equipment, labor, and natural resources.
The present invention is directed to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above.